Old Pain
by Shapeshifter99
Summary: The Team's world has been tipped upside down, and someone from Robin's past comes back to haunt him. Rated T cuz I'm paranoid ; . No Oc's this time, I promise!
1. Chapter 1

So this is an individual plot line about Tim Drake (aka Robin), during the Team's hardest time (you know, about 1 year before season two... THAT time? No? Whatever then lol).

* * *

The night was quiet, only disturbed from time to time by the honking of cars coming from the main road in Gotham City.

Tim Drake, known to most as Robin, the Boy Wonder, crouched on the head of a gargoyle, his hidden eyes staring down at the tiny people that walked far below him.

"See anything?" The Dark Knight's gruff voice said.

Robin turned and shook his head.

"Nobody's gone in since we came." He reported, referring to the mission they were currently on, which was tracking a group of notorious thieves that had so far escaped the Batman and his sidekick.

Because of this, Tim hadn't seen the Team in a while, but from what he'd heard from Nightwing, they were 'doing fine without his intellect and smart-aleck responses'. Robin wasn't too hurt- He knew that the Team often got annoyed when he over-analyzed a situation, particularly when it was a simple conversation.

It had been a while since Robin had done some real crime-fighting with his mentor, and he welcomed the chance to settle back into their usual routine of covering each other's backs.

Without a sound, the Dark Knight moved forward, the movement of his feet hidden by the long, dark cape that was attached to his cowl.

Batman leaned, unafraid at the huge amount of uncovered distance between him and the ground. His eyes, sharp as always, joined Robin's as they raked over the citizens of Gotham who were passing by the jewelry store they thought was the group's target.

Robin's gaze shifted away from the store, his eyes wandering from person to person. They eventually slid over the entrance to an alleyway, and the Boy Wonder froze.

Batman, feeling his protégé tense beside him, murmured to him quietly.

"What is it?"

But as the Dark Knight asked the question, Tim blinked, and what he thought he saw was gone.

"I-Nothing." He said lamely. "Just thought I saw something, that's all."

Batman raised an eyebrow underneath his cowl, and noticed the Robin was trying very hard not to look at him.

He didn't press the boy, however, and the dynamic duo continued their silent watch.

* * *

The next day, Tim threw himself onto one of the many couches of Wayne Manor before letting out a huge yawn.

The Boy Wonder had spent all of the night waiting on the gargoyle for the gangsters to show up, but they never appeared.

Eventually, Batman relented as the sun started to come up and told him to head back home.

Feeling guilty, but relieved, Robin had taken the offer and had raced back home so he could slip back into his identity of Tim Drake and his bed.

The Boy Wonder had just taken off his costume and relaxed under a hot, pounding shower, the water and steam relaxing his stiff muscles.

Now that he was finally alone, however, thoughts started spinning around in his brain. He was almost certain he had seen it, but the moment he had looked again, it had disappeared. Older, taller maybe, but still familiar.

He finally put it down to stress, and lay down on the couch, his face resting on the pillows that came with it, and slept.

* * *

Night had once again descended upon Gotham City. Bruce was barely managing to keep himself alert, and felt remembered the time he had had to stay awake for three days straight. He had even had to go into a coffee shop to give him a caffeine boost, as falling asleep would have caused mayhem.

"Hey Bats." Nightwing's relatively cheerful voice caused the Dark Knight's head to snap around.

Seeing that it was his old protégé, he relaxed, but felt a little annoyed that he hadn't been able to sense Nightwing earlier.

"Aren't you meant to be with the Team?" Batman asked in surprise, and became even more shocked as Nightwing's smile instantly fell away, his face becoming sorrowful.

"What ha-" Bruce began, but Dick cut him off.

"I don't really want to talk about it now. You'll find out soon enough."

But in the next moment, Nightwing plastered another smile on his face, though it seemed to forced. "So, I managed to sneak up on the great Batman."

"You're getting better." The Dark Knight admitted, changing position to relieve his stiff and aching muscles.

Nightwing flashed him a grin, but it was slightly tinged with concern as he observed his obviously tired mentor.

"How long have you been here?" He asked, leaning against the stone façade.

"Since yesterday." The Dark Knight retorted, his still-alert eyes sweeping the street.

Nightwing raised a hidden eyebrow. "Huh. That must be why I found Rob wiped out on the couch when I came for a visit."

Batman turned sharply at the mention of his protégé, guilt already rising in him at having driven his sidekick so hard when he needed rest.

Nightwing raised a hand.

"He didn't seem _too_ exhausted." He corrected himself quickly, seeing the pain it caused the older man. "But his forehead was all scrunched up; you know, the way it is when he goes to bed thinking about something really hard."

Batman jerked his head once in understanding.

"He seemed fine when he was with me." The Dark Knight noted. "Well, except that one moment…" His face deepened into yet another scowl, this one thoughtful as he recalled his protégé's behavior.

"What happened?" Nightwing asked curiously, his gloved hand lifting up to brush away the shaggy hair that was constantly falling into his mask-and eyes.

Batman shrugged, an unusual gesture on the stoic vigilante.

"We were both keeping an eye on the city-" Batman stopped momentarily as he realized that he wasn't doing his job.

Turning back to the view, he continued. "When Robin suddenly froze. I asked him what was wrong, but he brushed me off, saying he _thought_ he saw something."

Bruce's eyes narrowed behind his cowl, and used his hand to gesture at three men who had just entered the store.

Nightwing nodded his understanding.

"Should we take them out first?" He questioned.

The Caped Crusader sighed. "As much as Robin is important, I need to get that threesome in jail."

Nightwing's mouth quirked up in a half-smile. "Want some help?"

Batman grunted, with Dick immediately translated as a 'well, duh'.

"Let's get to it then!" Nightwing said cheerfully before launching himself into the sky, his hand already reached out to let a grappling hook latch onto a nearby roof.

"Come on old man!" Bruce heard Dick yell.

His scowl deepened even further.

"I'm still in my forties!" He shouted back, only to feel embarrassment rise up in him.

How did that man make him act so childish?

Instead of trying to answer the impossible question, Batman swung after his ex-partner, clearly hearing his signature cackle echo throughout Gotham.

"He'll never change." Bruce grumbled.

* * *

Tim finally woke up in the early morning, confusion a fog spread through his head.

"Master Timothy?" Alfred was beside the young man, his suit as impeccable as always.

"Yeah Alfred?" Tim winced as he got a massive head rush from standing up too quickly.

"Master Bruce wanted me to inform you that the criminals were apprehended and that he gave you an excuse from school yesterday.

Tim's blue eyes widened.

"Oops."

Alfred chuckled quietly. "Everything is fine, Master Tim. Master Dick also came around yesterday evening, but since you were resting, he left."

Tim clapped a hand to his head. "Ugh! I was meaning to ask him about how the Team was doing!"

"Don't worry, he will probably return." Alfred comforted the boy, but Tim was mostly irritated with himself.

"What time is it?" Tim asked suddenly.

"I believe it is around 2 in the morning Master Timothy."

"What are you doing up?" Tim asked in confusion.

"I was watching over you. Master Bruce was quite worried about you."

"Thanks, Alfred." Tim asked, slightly confused until it dawned on him that Bruce had probably been referring to his strange behavior yesterday.

Alfred gave him a smile.

"Hey, I'm gonna go out for a while, okay? If Bruce comes, tell him I'm at Mt. Justice."

"And _will_ you be there, Sir?" Alfred said, raising an eyebrow.

Tim smiled. "Don't worry Alfred; it's been ages since I've seen the Team."

* * *

Before entering the old phone booth that was actually a Zeta Tube, Robin self-consciously his hand to his hair.

It had been weeks since he had seen the Team, and he wondered what they would think of his crew cut. For a moment, he worried that they wouldn't recognize him and try to launch an attack on him. But he shook the sentiment away.

Even though his hair had been shaggy and carefully gelled into messy spikes before, they would be able to tell it was him.

Despite the fact that he was rather proud of the change of look-several of Bruce's associates had complimented him on it-, it still felt strange without the slightly heavier weight of his old haircut.

But then Tim chided himself. It was stupid to worry about hair. That didn't get crime-fighting done.

He stepped into the booth and waited patiently for the machine to scan him.

"_Recognized, Robin. B20._"

There was a flash of light, and Robin felt his particles become torn apart, then reassemble just as fast.

Robin stepped into the large and circular main cave, his steps not making a sound against the floor.

But no one was there to greet him, not even Kid Flash.

Tim frowned.

"Anyone home?" He shouted out, his voice echoing around the Cave.

"Robin?" A voice sniffled in surprise.

Robin instantly recognized it as Miss Martian's, also known as M'gann.

"Where are you?" He asked in surprise, looking around the empty room for a sign of the green-skinned girl.

"I'm not in the room quite yet." Her voice came out of nowhere once again, and he suddenly realized that her voice was rough with tears.

"M'gann?" He said anxiously. "What happened? Where is everyone?"

The Martian suddenly appeared, her feet shuffling against the ground.

Tim stared in shock. The girl's eyes were red, tears coursing down her cheeks. He suddenly realized that she wasn't floating, which was how he always saw M'gann.

His heart dropped into his shoes. Something awful had happened, that much was obvious.

"You-you got a haircut." M'gann sniffled.

Tim was startled. "What? Oh, yeah, that."

"You look v-very handsome." M'gann said, smiling slightly through her tears.

"Thanks, but what the hell happened?"

Miss M's smile fell once again, and the waterworks came on harder.

"I-It was so awful!" She blubbered, her hands coming up to her face.

She started sobbing loud, heart-wrenching sobs, and Robin started to panic.

What should he do?

He finally settled for going to her and giving her a hug.

"What happened?" He asked again.

M'gann looked at him, and Tim was shocked by the pain he saw in her eyes.

"J-just yesterday." She stammered, trying to get her words out. "T-the Team was on a mission. And… And…" She started crying again.

Robin felt fear fill him up.

"I-It's Tula!" She sobbed, and Robin started.

What was going on?

"She-She's _dead_!" She half-yelled, her sobs racking her shoulders.

Tim felt as if someone had filled him up with ice.

Dead? No, no, that wasn't possible. None of his teammates could be… Dead.

Especially not _Tula_. Robin remembered the last time he had seen the perky Atlantean, about three weeks ago.

She had been laughing about a joke Kaldur had told her about a fish that no one else understood, but they had all gone along with it anyway. To think that she was…

Tin swallowed.

"A-and everyone else?" He whispered.

"The-They're fine." She stammered, and Robin immediately noticed a change. She was obviously still upset, but about more then she was letting on.

"M'gann." He said gently, but firmly. "_What happened?_"

"Aqualad…" She whispered. "He got so mad... He yelled at us that it was our fault. H-he and Nightwing fought…"

Tim flinched. This was what Nightwing had probably wanted to talk to him about.

"The-Then." She stammered, more tears rolling down her face. "He-He _left_. Nightwing said there was more p-personal stuff involved, but he wouldn't tell us…"

Robin felt as if his whole world had started to tilt.

"Wally b-became upset and frightened. H-he told us that he and Artemis were q-quitting the superhero business, that they had b-been th-thinking about it for a while. Artemis agreed, and th-they both p-promised they would stay in touch. B-but they _left_ too!" M'gann started blubbering again.

"Oh God." Tim said, swaying in the spot.

_How could this have happened?_

* * *

Soooo, did you guys like it?


	2. Chapter 2

Ack! I know, I know, I haven't written in a couple of weeks, but it's because I've been super busy! Honest! Lol, ok, since you guys seem to have forgiven me (I hope!), I want to say I'm really grateful that you guys like the fanfic so far!

* * *

Robin stayed just until M'gann calmed down, unsure how long he would be able to stay calm. After a hurried goodbye and a promise to return, the Boy Wonder left the Martian alone.

He felt bad, but he was on the edge of an emotional cliff, and he feared he wouldn't have a something to save him should he fall.

That was why the moment he zeta beamed to Wayne Manor, he hopped on his motorcycle and sped away from the Batcave without telling Alfred where he was going. And to be honest, he wasn't that sure himself.

His cape flapping behind him, Tim watched as the camouflaged doors that led to the Batcave opened, allowing him to see Gotham City over the dense trees.

But for once, the Boy Wonder didn't observe the view, which was incredibly beautiful compared to what the city was really like, and simply bent further more in an effort to go faster.

The speed was addictive, and Tim tried to let it distract him from what he had just heard. He still could hardly believe it. How could something like that have happened?

He recalled the last time he had visited the Cave.

Everything thing had seemed fine, joyous even. Artemis' birthday had occurred a few days before, and the excitement and happiness still lingered in the air. M'gann had been baking, as usual, while Kaldur and Tula exchanged fish jokes. Connor, Artemis and Dick had been discussing new battle maneuvers as Wally was pleading for Tim to let him spar with the new ninja boy.

But Tim had refused, as he had realized that he was supposed to meet up with his mentor in Gotham. With a cheerful goodbye, he had stepped into the Zeta Tube. And as his molecules had started to disassemble, he had realized that the Team was practically his family.

But now it seemed as if they were torn apart. Tim felt his heart ache, the sensation similar to when he had lost his father to Captain Boomerang. When he had arrived home, the first thing he saw when he opened the door was his father lying dead on the floor, a similarly bloodied Captain Boomerang not far off.

Tim took in a shaky breath, trying to push the awful memories away. But yet another lurked at the edge of his mind, not yet close enough to be recognized. He immediately shoved that one into the shadows too before he recognized it.

By now, he was on the outskirts of Gotham. Robin slowed down, realizing he hadn't even bothered to change out of his suit before speeding away. A red flush spread across his cheeks, even though no one was around to see his misstep.

"Master Tim, I believe you left the Manor grounds without changing into your civilian clothes." Alfred's polite voice sounded in the helmet's earpiece.

"I know Alfred." Tim sighed. "I just realized."

The Wayne butler was silent for a moment before asking, "Master Tim?"

"Yes, Alfred?" Tim replied, knowing what he was going to ask.

"May I enquire why you left so swiftly?"

Tim sighed.

"The Team…" He began. "Everything's going wrong. Aqualad's disappeared, Kid Flash and Artemis left and Aquagirl…"

He felt a surge of grief. "Aquagirl's dead." He whispered, his voice barely audible.

Alfred let out a gasp, and his shock was nearly palpable despite the distance between the two people.

"I know." Robin replied, his voice wobbling slightly. "That's why I… Took off."

And without another word, Tim turned off the com link, unable to stand Alfred's grief and sympathy. He already had enough pain.

Instead of going back to the Batcave to change into his civilian clothes, like he should have, Robin simply sped on, intent on remaining distracted.

* * *

Soon, Tim was on the outskirts of Gotham. Knowing that he couldn't reveal himself by using Tim Drake's motorcycle while being Robin, Tim skidded to a halt on the lonely paved road that led to Gotham and got off the piece of machinery.

Looking around, Tim spotted the tree that was a landmark for an unmarked path that led to a smaller Batcave that the Dynamic Duo used in emergencies. Such a case hadn't happened yet, but Robin knew Batman thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

On the lookout for any people or vehicles that were on their way to the Wayne mansion, Tim slid into the welcoming shadows of the bushes and trees, gently rolling the cycle along.

There was no worn trail through the dense foliage that led to the backup Batcave, but Robin kept track of where he was by identifying the landmarks Batman had taught him to recognize when he had first equipped the cave.

Every few feet, Tim would prop the motorcycle and fix the path behind him so that no one could see the path left by the Boy Wonder, even if they had seen him enter the thick forest.

The mechanical movements that were second nature to him distracted Tim from the panic and sorrow that lingered on the edges of his mind, but he knew that he would have to confront the truth sooner or later.

But hopefully, it would be later.

After several minutes of plowing through undergrowth and hiding his trail, Robin finally emerged in a clearing. Before him towered a reasonably tall cliff of pure stone, hidden from the road by the tall trees and hilly landscape.

Once again propping up the motorcycle, Robin stepped forward, his gloved hand exploring the gritty wall. After a few seconds, his fingers slipped into a carefully hidden groove. He pressed the tiny button in the middle of the shallow hollow, and spoke in a clear voice.

"Robin."

There was a low rumble, and Tim felt the rock wall beneath his gloved fingers shudder with movement. He drew his hand away and watched as a section of the cliff sank into itself for a second before sliding open.

Robin returned to his motorcycle and rolled it into the dark cave, his cape sifting gently in the cool breeze that emerged from it.

The moment Robin was fully immersed in the darkness, the door groaned and slid across the exit. With a rumbling _Boom!_, the cave became once again invisible from the outside.

Once the door slid shut, lights flickered on automatically, allowing Robin to view the cave.

It was smaller than the original Batcave, about half its size, though no less useful, being equipped with all manner of weapons and equipment. There was the same large computer that Bruce used to watch over Gotham and find information, another Batmobile, an arsenal full of the gadgets that Batman, Robin and Nightwing all used, a few copies of Bruce's mostly used Batsuits, a small workshop for Batman to create or test out new gadgets, a training facility and living quarters, the three latter sections in case the Dynamic Duo were unable to return to Wayne Manor through the escape tunnel that both caves had.

The three only things that could distinguish this Batcave from the original were the lack of trophies, its size and the need for a generator, since this Batcave didn't draw its power source from Wayne Manor.

Robin went ahead and parked his motorcycle before heading over to the computer, sliding his helmet off while doing so.

He slid into the large chair that would have normally accommodated his mentor and linked himself up to the G.C.P.D radios. He really needed someone to beat up.

"-A couple of cronies on motorcycles are headed towards Crime Alley," The voice of Sergeant Jackson Davies echoed throughout the cave. "They're threatening people, and even though no attacks have been reported, I want someone to get out there."

"On my way." A voice said, unrecognizable thanks to the static that cut up the police officer's signal.

"Not if I get there first." Tim muttered, his blue eyes intense behind the mask that covered them.

Without a sound, Robin stood and strode to the cave's exit, still trying to suppress the feeling of the empty hole in his chest.

* * *

About two and a half hours later, Tim was gripping onto one of the edge of a typical Gotham building, his cape flapping in the strong breeze that swept in from the ocean. He had caught glimpses of the gang of motorcyclists that the Sergeant had been talking about, but so far had been unable to get close enough to launch in attack.

Hopefully, though, they would pass right by this building if his examinations of the pattern they were doing were correct.

A low growling, like several lions rumbling in malcontent at the same time reached Robin's ears. He tilted his head in an effort to catch the sound better.

Motorcycles. Several of them.

A grim smile slid onto his face. It was _so_ time for justice to be served.

The rumbling grew louder, and Tim spotted the gang skid around the building. But as he looked at the brut that was in the lead, the smile fell off his face.

Spiky blond hair in the shape of a Mohawk, blue tattoos spiraling down his arms and a twisted grin on his face.

It couldn't be.

In the next heartbeat, Robin was thrown into world of memories.

The same man, his face twisted into a snarl as he gunned the engine of the motorcycle.

The heavy thud as a plank of wood knocked him out.

Looking around, and seeing she was gone…

Bright light in the middle of the day. Spotting her through the crowd…

A doll clutched tightly in a girl's arms as she walked past with her mother...

Beams of light stabbing at the sky, the rush of water…

A shrill scream, her holding onto him as they slid into darkness…

A large monster seemingly made out of mud… Clayface…

Seeing her engulfed, sucked away from him. "Run Robin! Hurry!"

The familiar sense of sorrow overcame him and he remembered his thoughts from that day as if the incident had just happened. She was gone. Gone, gone, gone. Why was she gone? It didn't make sense…

Robin managed to finally break himself free of the flow of memories, his face pained. He remembered those few days of happiness often. But in the end, there was no happily ever after. His jaw clenched, he shook his head.

He had to focus!

Luckily, the gang was just passing underneath him. Without a moment's hesitation, Tim jumped.

He landed lightly on someone's shoulders at the back of the pack. The force was enough to knock the man out, so Robin simply used him as a springboard to leap to the net.

So far, no one had noticed that the colorful hero had taken out one of their own. Unfortunately, the element of surprise didn't last long.

The next guy that Robin landed on let out a yell of pain, alerting the rest of the group.

"Oi! It's the flippin' Brat Wonder!" The lead gangster bellowed.

Robin didn't reply, instead dispatching of the man who was on the closest motorcycle and leaped onto the ground.

The remaining motorcycles span around and started to circle him. Robin tensed, his knees slightly bent so that he could leap out of the way should they head towards him.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you!" The leader yelled, his face twisting in a sick grin. "How long's it been? Three years? Naw, it couldn't have been. Seems like only yesterday you were acting all big 'n tough!"

"If I remember correctly, I wasn't really acting." Robin said dryly, though his heart was pounding in his ears and he was starting to see red.

He took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself and get rid of the roar in his ears. While he did so, the gangster's grin changed into a sneer.

"Think you're so smart, aren't you, punk?" He snarled, twisting the handlebar of the motorbike, causing a deep growl to come from it. "By the way, where's the chick that you saved, eh? Did she leave you because she doesn't like the hero type?"

The other gangsters let out cruel laughs and wolf-whistles, and Tim lost it.

With a shout of rage, Robin launched himself at the lead gangster and gave him a hard kick in the face.

Blood spewed from the man's mouth as he hurtled backwards and off his bike from the force of the blow. But the Boy Wonder wasn't done yet. In the next second he was by the gangster's side and proceeded to start punching him extremely hard.

The remaining part of Tim's brain that was still rational tried to break through the haze of rage and grief that was overcoming the hero, but was unsuccessful and simply grew smaller.

Every time he hit the gangster, he felt a savage triumph thunder through him that he couldn't explain as the man groan in pain. But it didn't matter. He had learned the Team had been torn apart, and this guy goaded him into attack with a personal matter.

He _deserved_ to feel the pain from his wounds.

Eventually, he started to feel slightly confused, wondering why the gangster's lackeys hadn't tried to attack him yet.

But his rage over-rode his puzzlement and he continued to attack the leader. After a few more seconds, Robin felt gentle hands grasp his forearms from behind and pulled him away from the groaning man.

Tim struggled at first, but as each heartbeat passed, his rage started to drain away. Once it was all gone, a heavy exhaustion settled over him, and unable to help himself, his eyes slid close and he slumped against the person who had pulled him away.

Trying to remain conscious, Robin dimly heard a gentle voice.

"It's ok. You can sleep."

And at the words the warm and familiar voice said, Tim unwittingly obliged, sinking into the dark recesses of his mind where pain and sorrow were a distant memory.


	3. Chapter 3

Whew. Ok, I admit I kinda rushed this chapter. I promised myself that I would at _least_ get two chapters up in a week, so here's the first one. And I know that I posted a chapter daily before the summer holidays, but I've become piled with homework, and I really need time to do it now. I will post chapters as often as I can, but this is it for now.

* * *

Robin slowly slipped back into consciousness, accompanied by a large headache and a feverish burn that seemed to cover his entire body.

The smell was what he noticed first. Musty, damp, like somewhere that hadn't been taken care of in a while.

The sounds were next. Or, rather, the lack thereof. Unsure of where he was and who he was with. Tim strained his ears, knowing that to open his eyes could be a fatal mistake, but barely heard anything other than the sound of his breathing.

What the hell had happened?

It came back slowly, flashes of the fight with the gangsters. He grimaced inwardly as he remembered how he had lost control.

He never, ever lost control. But this time, he had completely gone nuts. This probably explained why he had blacked out, since he wasn't used to releasing so much emotional energy physically.

And after that?

There were only small flashes, but he recalled someone pulling him away, and a gentle voice… A familiar voice.

Damn it, why hadn't he stayed conscious longer?

Completely certain that he was alone, Robin cracked his eyes open and looked at his surroundings. Everything was hazy, and Tim realized he still felt a little woozy, but pushed himself up into a sitting position anyway.

The room was small, and dirty, with boarded up windows and little furniture.

Someone had placed him on a couch, but besides that, a dirty rug and a tiny coffee table with a lamp on it, it was empty. There were to doors, one of which was probably an exit, the other leading to adjacent rooms in an apartment.

Robin stood, grimacing as the couch springs creaked in protest and silently made his way to one of the blocked windows.

Peering through two of the boards, he observed a small alleyway, and dim lights at the end of it. It wasn't hard to guess that he was in Gotham's slums.

He then tried both of the doors. The first led to more rooms, as he had suspected, but he didn't investigate them. He had to get out of here.

The other door was unlocked as well, and led to stairs. He made his way down, only to encounter another door.

This one was locked.

Tim's hand automatically reached down his utility belt, and was relieved to find it was still there before taking out a lock pick.

The door easily swung open after he fiddled for a few moments and he slid into Gotham's familiar streets.

Tim turned to lock the door behind him, but froze as a partially irritated, partially amused voice echoed through the alley.

"You know, I was only going to get you some food. Didn't need to break out."

Robin turned slowly, hardly able to believe his ears. Had he been right? Had he truly not been hallucinating that night with Batman?

She was almost exactly the same. The same pale skin, same short and dark reddish brown/black hair, same dark, trusting eyes.

"Annie*****?" Robin said in a strangled voice.

* * *

The apparition before him-what else could it be?-bit her lip as her hands wove together.

"Yes. It's me, Robin."

He continued to stare in disbelief. How was this possible?

She was taller now, more… Curvaceous, but it was definitely her. She was even wearing the same clothes, though the shirt was now a light blue instead of yellow.

"But… But you're dead. I saw you die."

Annie-or whatever she was-flinched, and Tim felt the urge to apologize, to comfort her.

"I wasn't dead. At least, not completely. Clayface… Reabsorbed me, but somehow, I managed to keep a separate conscious. All of my senses were cut off, instead being attached to Clayface, but my thoughts remained my own. I don't even think he realized I was still alive until I managed to separate myself completely when he absorbed too much extra clay that his body couldn't handle. He became drowsy, like if you eat too much, and I managed to use the excess clay to separate myself and create myself a new body. The… Same body."

Robin felt the world sway beneath his feet… Or was that him? This was all too much… First the Team's awful news, now this…

Tim didn't realize he was about to fall until Annie stepped forward and steadied him with her hands. Even through the suit, he could feel her cool touch and suddenly realized how hot he felt.

She frowned, and lifted one of her hands to raise it to his forehead. "You're burning up."

Robin slumped more heavily as his legs started to give out.

"Robin? Robin!" Annie's voice was slightly distant, and everything was too bright… Too blurry…

He felt Annie wrap an arm around his torso while putting the other one across her shoulders.

"Jeez." He dimly heard her say. "You've seriously grown."

Tim let out a non-commitical murmur.

Suddenly, bright light flashed in front of him. Tim raised his free hand in an effort to ward it off.

A harsh voice broke through the silence, and Robin winced at the pain that started to ricochet through his head.

He tried to gather himself so he could stop leaning on Annie, but he was just so _tired_…

As he tried to push away the cloudy film of darkness that was starting to cover his eyes, he felt strong arms lift him up and the same sharp and rough voice.

_Batman,_ Tim thought dazedly. _He must have tracked me. Guess something went wrong with my vital signs… Or…_

Robin was finding it hard to finish his train of thought.

"Robin?" Bruce's soft growl said in his ear.

Even though it couldn't have been more than a whisper, Tim clamped his hands over his ears when fresh pain pounded through his brain.

"It's alright. You're running a high fever, and I'm taking you back home." Robin winced at every word.

"What about… Annie?" He managed to croak out.

"We'll figure something out."

Tim dimly remembered that Batman always said that when he had no idea, whatsoever, of what to do, but let it pass. Talking made him feel nauseous.

There was a brief sensation of movement, before Tim felt him being settled in a comfy seat. He strained to stay awake, and partially succeeded, remaining half-conscious as his body battled the illness that had arrived so suddenly.

* * *

When the Batmobile finally rumbled to a stop, Robin was twitching with pain and fever, causing Bruce to pick him up and carry him to his room, being too weak to do it himself.

The next few hours passed by in a daze as Tim was dressed in his pajamas and put to bed. He slipped in and out of consciousness, his half-awake moments filled with a pounding head, a feverish body, incoherent babbling, while when he slept his sleep was fraught by nightmares, most notably him hearing Tula's screams and Annie's last words, echoed over and over as he watched both of them die.

When he finally, truly became conscious, he found Dick Grayson sitting at the foot of his bed.

"Dick?" He groaned, flinching at the pounding in his head the words brought.

"Hey, Tim." Dick-also known as Nightwing-said with a somber expression.

"How long was I out?"

"Only about twelve hours. Whatever hit you left as soon as it came." Robin understood he was referencing the sickness and nodded slowly.

"What about Annie?" He asked swiftly, ignoring the dizziness that swept through him as he struggled into a sitting position.

"Annie?" Dick gave him a confused look, and Tim realized that he probably hadn't even known of the incident that had happened a few years ago.

"The girl. There was a girl with me." He said, panic starting to edge into his voice.

Nightwing's blue eyes lit up with realization. "She's fine. Bruce is keeping her down in the Batcave, since she can't know our secret identities-"

"What!?" Robin yelled before throwing off the covers and attempting to stand.

Another wave of nausea came over him, and he staggered. Dick quickly caught him.

"Hey, take it easy. She's fine."

Tim took in a deep breath to calm himself. "Sorry. It's just… After… You know."

Dick's face fell and Robin felt awful about bringing the Team's… Mishap up.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I should have told you sooner. It's just-"

"I know. You needed to spend some time alone. M'gann was the one who told me about it."

Dick looked worried. "How is she?"

Tim looked away, guilt eating at him as he remembered at how he had practically fled from her. "She was really upset."

Dick sighed. "We all are."

"Can you help me downstairs?" Tim said, trying to distract the both of them from the hollow space in their chests.

Dick gave him a half-hearted smile. "Sure."

* * *

*****For those of you who didn't know, Annie was a character introduced in the Batman TAS series in the episode 'Growing Pains'. She was originally sent out as a scout for Clayface, but the moment she left his side, she forgot her purpose and had a conscious of her own. Robin met her when she was surrounded by gangsters, and saved her. Later on, he tried to help her remember where she was from. They made their way to a chemical plant, where Clayface cornered them. It was at this point that Annie realized her true origins, and was terrified at the thought of being reabsorbed by her 'father'. However, she sacrificed herself in an effort to save Robin, who she had become fond of. The episode was really, really sad, but one of my favorites, so if you can, WATCH IT. You will not regret it!

Till next time peeps!


	4. Chapter 4 Author's Note

Ok, to start off, I know that right now, I've not been the best YJ fans because I haven't been writing much. I'm trying, guys, I really am, but I don't think I'm gonna get a lot of inspiration until Young Justice starts airing again. I AM writing, I can say that much, but it's becoming a little hard to get inspiration, even though I re watched all of season 1, and all the episodes of season 2 so far. So, just be patient for a little while guys, ok?

I've noticed that a lot of you guys are trying to show me your ideas, and I appreciate that, but I don't need any help. I have a rough skeleton of how this is gonna go, and I'm adding details here and there as I go. But seriously, please stop. Your ideas are awesome, but I'm started to feel a little haggard, and more than a little annoyed when I get another review or PM that's promoting someone's ideas. I'm not going to point fingers, but it's really annoying, and I really don't want to lose my temper over something that can be avoided.

I have submitted this same author's note to every fanfiction I'm currently writing so everyone gets the message except on my crossover, since I have a few more problems I'm discussing on it.

Thank you, and stay asterous, everybody. 'Cuz I have a feeling the week before the next episode comes out is gonna be crazy XD.


	5. Chapter 5

*Squeal*! I saw Satisfaction and ONE word: AWESOMENESS! And yes, that is RIGHT people! Shapeshifter99 is BACK!

BUT. Yes, there is a but. I still don't know if I'm going to have enough time to write and publish chapters as often as I used to, so I'm going to go with about two chapters per week. But no worries, I _will_ write ;D

* * *

The walk down to the Batcave was painful, to say the least. Every step Tim took, even with Dick's support, made him nauseous and several times he felt like he was going to black out again.

Dick stopped twice, once to fetch shades for the both of them, twice when he stopped at the entrance to the Batcave.

"What happened, anyway?" Robin croaked out, leaning heavily against a bookcase as Dick entered the code for the Batcave.

"The night spent out watching for those criminals took a lot out of you, and made your immune system fragile. Your fight against those goons was the last straw, and you got pretty sick. It was a good thing Bruce found you when he did." The older hero said as the clock slid aside to reveal the steps that led to the Batcave.

Dick took Tim's arm and lifted it over his shoulder as he helped the boy he considered his younger brother down the staircase.

"In fact, he'll probably have my head for letting you get out of bed while you're still healing." He continued as they slowly made their way down.

Tim bristled, even though he knew Bruce was freaking out for his best interests.

"I'll manage." He grunted out.

Dick laughed, surprised at Robin's immediate reaction. "Jeez, I think you're more of a workaholic than he is."

Tim cracked a smile, knowing that Nightwing was referring to their mentor. "Maybe."

By now, they had rounded one of the many bends of the staircase and could catch glimpses of the Batcave from time to time.

Anxiously, Robin searched for Annie among the gadgets and stone walls, to no avail. He told himself that she was fine, but still felt slightly uneasy.

His worries proved hollow when the rounded the last corner and entered the Batcave.

Annie was standing over by the Batcomputer, her eyes lowered as she fidgeted with the hem of her camisole.

Robin observed her as they approached, mentally comparing the girl who stood before him now compared to what she had been like years ago.

She still had the same black necklace wrapped around her throat, but she had grown so much he wondered if she had replaced it. She was still shorter than Robin, but only by a few inches. Instead of the creamy yellow shirt and black skirt from before, a short black dress hugged her body, stopping to about mid-calf. He felt a blush creep up his neck and tried to look at her face instead. A faded chestnut camisole, similar to the one she had worn the first time Robin had met her covered her arms and most of her upper body.

Her dark brown, almost black hair was still the same, cut to about chin-length. Her lips were pursed in worry, and her burnt umber eyes were still hadn't met his.

She still hadn't noticed him, and it was only thanks to a gentle nudge from Nightwing that Tim realized he had stopped moving.

Dick was smirking as Robin's face flamed and he let out a choked cough in an effort to alert Annie to their presence.

Her head snapped up, and when she spotted Tim, her eyes filled with instant relief.

"Are you alright?" She blurted out before coming over to the two of them. "I'm so sorry… I didn't know that you were sick-"

"It's okay." Tim cut her off and gave her a gentle smile. "I'll be fine. And I'm glad to see that you're safe."

Dick's smirk grew even wider and Tim blushed all the harder at the words that had slipped out of his mouth.

But Annie didn't seem to notice and seemed only relieved that he wasn't mad at her.

"I hope Batman's treating you ok." He said hurriedly, trying to cover his slip up.

"Yeah, he's fine. Told me to stay put, and that he'd send someone down to check if there was anything I needed." She said with a faint smile.

"Good, good. Did he tell why you were brought along?" Tim said, suddenly curious. It was _very_ unlike Bruce to bring strangers here.

Annie shook her head. "He just told me to stay put, and left the way you two came in. The butler gave me something to eat."

"I had my reasons." A gruff voice from behind the trio said. They all turned to see Bruce, still in his Batsuit. "I needed to talk to the League. About the events that occurred earlier."

Dick's face instantly turned guilty and Tim was reminded of his own pain.

"Are the others alright?" Nightwing said referring to their remaining teammates.

Batman gave a short nod. "Physically, they're fine. But it's going to take a while until they heal."

Small relief temporarily lightened Tim's heavy heart, but it was only temporary. Bruce was right; it would take a long, long time before they recovered from their losses.

"I also talked to the League about her." Batman added, jerking a thumb at Annie.

Tim felt a frown slip onto his face. "Why?"

Instead of giving an answer, Bruce faced the girl in question.

"Show me what you've got." He said bluntly.

Annie turned pale. "H-How did you know about that?"

"I have security cameras everywhere." He retorted shortly. "I was keeping an eye on you, even if you didn't know it. Never know when someone tries to do something stupid with all the stuff lying around here."

Tim bristled.

"She wouldn't have done anything!" He argued. "And what are you talking about?"

Batman was still staring at Annie.

"Well?" He said after a moment's silence.

Annie's panicked expression turned determined. "You asked for it."

The next second was a blur. Annie raised her hands, and what looked like some sort of mud shot from it, headed towards Robin's mentor.

Swiftly, Bruce plucked a pellet from his utility belt and threw it just before the mud touched him.

The gelatin shell broke on impact, releasing ice. The clay headed towards Batman froze, and stopped after a few feet.

Annie's hands returned to normal, and the clump of frozen mud fell to the ground before shattering into several pieces.

"You'll do." Batman grunted, as if nothing had happened before turning and striding towards the computer.

"Do? Do what?" Robin asked, his voice almost cracking in shock.

"With those kinds of powers, it would be unsafe to let her run wild. She's joining the Team."

* * *

Tiny bit short, but I didn't know what else to fit in before the big reveal XD.


	6. Chapter 6 Author's Note

Hey, guys, this is another author's note (unfortunately). I know that I haven't been keeping my promises, but as most of you will know by now, this is because Cartoon Network has given us another hiatus. Until January. As you guys can imagine, everyone is furious at CN for taking DC Nations block of the Saturday schedule. We haven't had any explanation, only a simple tweet, announcing it's been moved to January 2013. HOWEVER. Yes. There is a however. If you didn't know this already, THERE IS A PETITION YOU CAN SIGN. If you haven't already, please contribute and help bring our shows back by signing it.

This is the link: /bring-back-dc-nation/

Please help out guys (you know I can't survive without Young Justice! XD), and stay whelmed. Hopefully, we'll get an explanation soon.

And once again, apologies for not writing much… But I have a weeklong holiday now, so I'm gonna try and catch up on it!

~Shift


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